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'Rookie Blue' is most-watched Canadian series

Beat CTV and CBS' cop drama 'Due South'

TORONTO -- The ABC/Global Television cop drama "Rookie Blue" has set record after record since bowing on June 24: It is the most-watched show on Canadian TV sets for two weeks this summer, and is the most-watched homegrown show this year.

Now comes the latest record broken: "Rookie Blue" is the most-watched new Canadian series in two decades, beating yet another cop drama "Due South" on CTV and CBS during the mid-1990s.

"While we were confident that Rookie Blue would resonate with viewers, the astounding success of its record-breaking first season has exceeded our highest expectations," Barbara Williams, executive vp of content at Global Television-parent Canwest Broadcasting, said.

Ahead of a two-hour season finale on Thursday night at 9 p.m., Global Television reported an average weekly viewership of 1.8 million Canadians, surpassing 1.7 million viewers for the first season of "Due South" in 1994.

"Rookie Blue" won its Thursday 9 p.m. timeslot nationally 10 out of 11 weeks during its freshman run in Canadian primetime, and every episode made the national "Top 10" table in Canada, a rarity given the dominance of U.S. network series here.

Given its lower-than-usual license fee paid for the Canadian drama, ABC renewed "Rookie Blue" for a sophomore run after only three weeks on air, as did Global Television.

The show was developed by Thump Inc., in partnership with Entertainment One.